Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 163
Meanwhile, Tsunade was thoroughly entertained, casually eating her bento as she watched the chaos unfold.
Kushina sighed and walked over to one of the clones. She gently patted his head to get their attention. The clones turned to look at her.
Leaning in slightly, she said, "Please, guys, help Kai-kun. He really needs your help, ya know."
One of the clones muttered, looking down. "But we always get stuck with the menial tasks, ya know… it's not fair."
Of course, since they were all Kaito, they had a soft spot for Kushina—their mother.
Kushina smiled knowingly. "How about this? If you guys help Kai-Kun with this, I'll make your favorite for dinner."
One of the clones perked up instantly. "With zenzai?"
Kushina grinned. "Yep!"—she even popped the 'p' for emphasis—"I'll even make red bean mochi for you guys."
At that, one of the clones jumped up and shouted, "What are we waiting for?! You heard Mom—let's get this over with!"
The rest cheered in agreement and dove into the paperwork like their lives depended on it.
Meanwhile, Kaito sat there, his eyes still twitching.
Tsunade let out a loud snort, barely holding back her laughter. "Looks like your clones listen to Kushina more than you, brat."
…
Kaito sat in the Hokage's office, surrounded by stacks of paperwork. His shadow clones were seated across from him, each diligently working through the documents. Behind the desk, Tsunade reclined in her chair, sipping sake from a freshly poured cup.
As Kaito and his clones signed the last document, they placed it atop the completed stack. Stretching his arms above his head, Kaito cheered, "Finally, I'm done! That's the last of the paperwork for the day!" His clones dissipated in puffs of smoke, their task complete.
Just then, a knock echoed from the door. Kaito froze, a look of dread crossing his face. "Oh, come on, you've got to be kidding me," he groaned, repeatedly banging his head on the table in exasperation.
Tsunade smirked, taking another sip of her sake, clearly amused by Kaito's reaction.
The door creaked open, and Shizune entered, balancing yet another stack of paperwork in her arms. "Here are the mission reports from yesterday," she announced, placing the pile on the already cluttered table.
Tsunade nodded in acknowledgment. "Ah, thank you, Shizune."
Noticing Kaito's dejected posture, his shoulders shaking as he openly wept, Shizune pointed and asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Tsunade's smirk widened. "Oh, him? Nothing. He's fine."
Another knock interrupted the moment. Setting down her sake cup, Tsunade called out, "Come in."
The door opened to reveal Hotaru, accompanied by a few others. "Good evening, Lady Tsunade," Hotaru greeted as she stepped inside. Noticing Kaito's distressed state, she hurried over to him. "Kai-kun, are you alright?" she asked, concern evident in her voice as she gently shook his shoulder.
Kaito lifted his head, hastily wiping his face. "Ah, Hotaru, it's nothing. I'm just tired, ya know," he replied with a faint smile, sniffling slightly.
It was then that Kaito became aware of the others who had entered the room.
Kaito lifted his head, quickly wiping at his face before forcing a small smile. "Ah, Hotaru, it's nothing. I was just tired, ya know." He sniffled lightly, trying to compose himself.
It was then that he sensed the others in the room.
Turning around, he saw that it wasn't just Hotaru—several familiar faces from his graduation year had also entered.
Izumi stepped in, offering a polite nod to Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade," she greeted before turning to Kaito. "Hey there, Kaito-kun."
Hana followed after her, giving a lazy wave. "Good afternoon, Lady Hokage. Yo, Kaito."
Then, another voice spoke.
"Lady Hokage," Itachi greeted as he walked in after them.
Kaito immediately noticed the raised eyebrow Itachi sent his way, along with the silent question in his eyes: 'Why are you crying?'
Kaito coughed into his fist, subtly wiping away any remaining evidence of his earlier meltdown. He looked at all of them, raising an eyebrow. "What are you guys doing here?"
Tsunade stood up, stretching a little before walking over to Kaito's side. She leaned against the table, crossing her arms as she faced the group. "I called them here. I have a mission for you lot."
Kaito tilted his head. "A mission?"
Tsunade nodded. "The Academy is launching a new training program for its students, and you've all been selected as instructors. Since you're experienced but still close to their age, you'll be able to connect with them better than older shinobi."
Kaito blinked. "New program?"
Tsunade explained, "The program is designed to take Academy students to a designated training ground, where you'll teach them survival skills while also guiding them through tasks meant to simulate real missions. You will be acting as their team captains and instructors."
She paused, looking at each of them before continuing, "Additionally, all of you will be evaluated during this assignment to assess your leadership skills and ability to manage a team."
With that, she handed each of them a sheet of paper.
Kaito took his, staring at the names listed on it. "Huh? What's this for?"
Tsunade smirked. "That's the list of students you'll be instructing. You're participating in this exercise too."
Kaito's eyes widened slightly before a hopeful thought struck him. He slowly looked up at Tsunade, cautiously optimistic. "Does this mean… I'm finally off paperwork duty?"
Tsunade's smirk widened. "Your one-month punishment ended two days ago."
Kaito's eye twitched violently.
His smile froze, his mind short-circuiting as he processed Tsunade's words. "What do you mean it ended two days ago? Then why the hell did you have me doing your paperwork for the last two days?!"
Tsunade's grin widened. "You showed up on your own, brat, and I wasn't gonna stop you if you volunteered yourself." She shrugged casually. "Plus, you should've kept count of the days. It's not my fault you didn't."
Kaito's eye twitched harder as he glared at her. "You know, you really shouldn't make an enemy out of someone who can perfectly forge your signature."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her grin still in place. "Oh? And what exactly would you do, brat?"
Kaito shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, I don't know… maybe I'd take out some loans under your name, rack up an ungodly amount of debt. Or—" he paused, grinning deviously, "I could do something even worse… like signing you up for that bikini calendar ad that company approached you about last week."
Tsunade stopped laughing and her smirk faltered.
Kaito's grin widened. "I'd take all the money in advance, leaving you with no choice but to actually pose for them." He leaned in slightly. "And just to make things even more spectacular, I could request that Jiraiya be your co-star for the entire shoot."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You wouldn't dare."
Kaito met her gaze without flinching. "Wanna bet on it?"
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then, Tsunade suddenly burst out laughing. "Like you'd actually do that, brat." She gave him a solid slap on the back, making Kaito stumble forward. "Forget about me killing you—your mother would end you if you even tried something like that!"
Kaito groaned, slumping back in his chair. "I really hate you, ya know…"
Tsunade smirked, regaining her composure. "Well, anyways, you're being assigned three students—just like a regular genin cell."
Kaito let out a long sigh. "Do I have to? I already wasted a month doing your damn paperwork."
Tsunade shrugged. "Too bad. It's already been posted in the academy. Oh, and by the way… it's your brother's class."
Kaito grumbled under his breath, something about slave-driving women, before looking down at the paper listing his assigned students.
Kaito's Team:
Hinata Hyūga
Shikamaru Nara
Sakura Haruno
Hotaru's Team:
Sasuke Uchiha
Karin Uzumaki
Tobio
Itachi's Team:
Ino Yamanaka
Naruto Uzumaki
Ami
Hana's Team:
Shino Aburame
Chōji Akimichi
Isami
Izumi's Team:
Kiba Inuzuka
Shizuka
Shibai
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and waved them off. "Now, get out of my office and report to the Academy at 9 AM tomorrow. ."
Hotaru, Itachi, Hana, and Izumi all bowed respectfully. "Hai." They turned and began making their way toward the door.
Kaito, on the other hand, just walked out without a word, still grumbling under his breath. "Stupid lazy Hokage… all she does is drink and dump paperwork on me…"
As he reached the door, he slammed it shut— hard.
Turning around, arms crossed, Kaito saw his friends staring at him.
He scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit awkward. "Uh… hey there, guys. Been a while, huh?"
Hana smirked. "You could say that. I think it's been over a year since I last saw you three."
As they walked down the corridor leading to the exit, Izumi nodded. "I run into Itachi-kun from time to time, but the last time we were all together was after your Chūnin Exams."
Hana sighed dramatically. "Seems like if Izumi and I wanna see you guys, we'll have to book an appointment or something."
Hotaru chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, Izumi, Hana. We've just been that busy."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that, guys. Tsunade's been sending us on mission after mission. It's been non-stop work."
Hotaru suddenly perked up, slamming her fist into her palm. "Hey! How about we go out for dinner tonight? So we can all catch up!"
Izumi and Hana's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea!"
Hana licked her lips, already looking like she was salivating. "We should go for some barbecue. It's been way too long since I've had some."
Hotaru giggled at her reaction. "Hai, let's go there!"
Then, Hana turned and pointed a finger at Kaito and Itachi. "And you two better not try to skip out on us!"
Kaito immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it!"
Before Itachi could even think of slipping away, Izumi grabbed his arm, locking him in place. "And you're coming with us, Itachi-kun!" she declared, already dragging him along.
Itachi stumbled slightly. "Wait, Izumi—"
Izumi didn't listen.
She just kept dragging him forward with surprising strength.
Kaito watched with a sweatdrop. "Troublesome women…" he muttered under his breath.
Just then, Hotaru and Hana both grabbed him by the arms.
"Hey, you two! Wait for us!" Hana shouted, pulling Kaito along as well.
Hotaru just giggled and happily dragged Kaito forward.
….
The sun cast an orange hue over the Village Hidden in the Leaves as it began to set, bathing the streets in warm twilight.
Inside Yakiniku Q, Kaito, and his friends sat together in a private booth.
Hotaru, Hana, and Izumi sat on one side of the table, while Kaito and Itachi occupied the other.
A waiter arrived, placing their ordered food on the table. "Here you go."
The group chorused a "Thank you" in unison.
Kaito picked up a few pieces of meat and placed them on the grill, listening to the satisfying sizzle as they began to cook.
While they waited, Hana leaned forward, curiosity shining in her eyes. "Soooo… what was that about you threatening the Hokage?" she asked, flipping her meat over.
Itachi, calmly tending to his own food, answered before Kaito could. "Kaito was given a month of paperwork duty by the Hokage for doing something reckless."
Izumi blinked in realization. "Oh! So that's why you were in the Hokage's office for the past month. I thought it was some sort of training for when you become the Sixth."
Hana, mid-bite, froze.
Her eyes widened as she slowly turned to stare at Kaito, her hand wildly gesturing as she spoke. "Wait, stop, stop, STOP! What do you mean, 'when Kaito becomes the Sixth'?!" She stared at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head.
Hotaru, casually flipping her meat on the grill, raised an eyebrow at Hana. "Huh? You don't know? It's pretty much an open secret that Kai-kun is the official candidate for the position of Sixth Hokage. Lady Tsunade made it official when she took office."
Hana's mouth opened and closed a few times before she looked at everyone around the table. "Wait… am I the only one who didn't know about this?!"
Izumi, Itachi, and Hotaru all nodded.
Hana slumped, her shoulders sagging. "One of my friends is the next Hokage, and NO ONE thought to tell me?! You guys are the worst—leaving me out of everything!"
Hotaru patted her back reassuringly. "Hey, don't say that! We thought you already knew! And you know how Kai-kun is—he doesn't like to brag about things."
Kaito, meanwhile, casually took a piece of meat off the grill, blowing on it slightly before popping it into his mouth.
"There isn't much to brag about," he said between bites. "It's not like I have a choice in the matter. If it were up to me, I wouldn't want to be Hokage at all, ya know."
Hana looked at Kaito with a raised eyebrow, her expression full of confusion. "You don't want to become the next Hokage?"
She looked completely bewildered.
Kaito shook his head without hesitation. "Too much paperwork. I'd rather do something else than be buried in documents all day, ya know."
Izumi swallowed her food before asking, "So why were you punished, then? Does it have something to do with the Yuki Clan?"
Kaito choked.
He slammed his fist against his chest a few times, coughing violently.
Hotaru and Itachi immediately looked at Izumi, while Hotaru let out a nervous laugh.
"W-What makes you say that, Izumi?" Hotaru asked, her tone not at all convincing.
Izumi tilted her head, confused. "Itachi-kun said that Kaito was punished with paperwork for a month, and I know your team was the one that brought back the Yuki Clan a month ago… so I just figured it had something to do with that."
Kaito quickly grabbed his drink, taking big gulps of water before waving his hands. "No, no, it's something else, ya know!" He stammered, clearly struggling to come up with an excuse. "I-I kinda… um… uh…"
Hotaru, seeing Kaito crash and burn, quickly jumped in to cover for him.
"Kai-kun messed up during the mission!" she blurted out.
It was an obvious lie.
Hana grinned mischievously. "Nooo, no, I know you, Kaito. You're not the type to mess up something big."
Her eyes suddenly widened in realization, and she pointed a dramatic finger at him.
"You were the one who rescued them, weren't you?!" she shouted.
Before she could say anything else, Hotaru lunged forward, quickly covering Hana's mouth.
"Please keep it down, Hana!" Hotaru whispered urgently.
Hana nodded before lowering her voice. "So you really were the one who rescued the Yuki Clan," she whispered, looking at Kaito in awe.
Kaito sighed heavily and slammed his head against the table.
Izumi's eyes widened. "So it's true, then?"
Hotaru let out a sigh before nodding. "Yeah… it's true."
Itachi finally spoke, his voice calm but serious. "Please keep it to yourselves, Hana, Izumi. If word got out, it could lead to war."
Both girls nodded seriously, understanding the weight of the situation.
After a brief moment of silence, Kaito lifted his head up and immediately changed the subject.
"Soooo, I heard both of you are training under Lady Tsunade?"
Izumi perked up and nodded. "Yep! We're learning medical ninjutsu under Lady Tsunade, but it's not just us—there are a few others, too."
Hotaru quietly ate her food, while Hana took a bite of grilled meat before adding, "Yeah, it's really hard… but I don't think I'll become a full-fledged medical nin. I'm going to be a vet!"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "A vet?" kaito but honestly, he didn't remember much about what she did in the original timeline.
Hana grinned. "Yup! I love animals way more than people. Plus, the Inuzuka Clan could use a skilled vet for their ninken, ya know!"
Kaito chuckled. "Makes sense."
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